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Web Summit's Paddy Cosgrave Brian Lawless via PA Images

Web Summit organiser apologises over 'offensive' dinner at Portugal's National Pantheon

A number of Portugal’s important national figures are buried at the Pantheon.

WEB SUMMIT ORGANISER Paddy Cosgrave has apologised after Portugal’s Prime Minister criticised him for holding an “offensive” summit dinner at Lisbon’s National Pantheon, where a number of the country’s important national figures are buried.

The dinner was held last Friday at the National Pantheon for founders and investors of the Web Summit.

Prime Minister António Costa, who opened the Summit, said the decision to host the dinner at the Pantheon was “unworthy of the respect due” to the national monument.

Costa said that although it was legal to do so, it was the fault of the previous Portuguese government for allowing the “offensive use of this monument”.

Laws will be amended to prevent the Pantheon from being used for similar events in the future, according to Costa.

The Pantheon is a former church, the Church of Santa Engrácia, and was converted into the monument in 1966.

Portuguese national heroes buried at the site include the first elected leader Manuel Arriaga, a number of former presidents, writers and poets such as João de Deus and footballer Eusébio.

Following the criticism, Cosgrave apologised for any offence caused.

“Dear Portugal, I apologise. I’m Irish. Culturally we have a very different approach to death. We celebrate it,” Cosgrave wrote on Twitter.

“That does not make it the right approach when in Portugal. I love this country as a second home and would never seek to offend the great heroes of Portugal’s past.”

A Web Summit statement said that it was “trying to honour the history of Portugal and have our guests appreciate the storied past of this country”.

When the Web Summit was based in Dublin, the Founders’ dinner was hosted in the crypt of Christ Church Cathedral.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Apr 17th 2019, 6:32 AM

    Could a Indian airline not pick up the gauntlet

    393
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    Mute iohanx
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    Apr 17th 2019, 7:08 AM

    @Gavin Murphy: culturally the Caste system in India has a lot to bear on that unfortunately

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Apr 17th 2019, 7:30 AM

    @Gavin Murphy: yes I heard that ,they don’t have a lot of respect for women some of them any way ,not to excuse them but we have some of our own too

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    Mute Skimothy
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    Apr 17th 2019, 7:34 AM

    @FlopFlipU: exactly. If you come here why should we make sure it’s easy for you to go back and forth?

    97
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    Mute ÓDuibhír Abú
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    Apr 17th 2019, 7:48 AM

    @FlopFlipU: ‘Caste System’ is an Evil System. Those consigned to never make it up the ladder of life, Street sweepers stay street sweepers and only marry those of the same ‘Class’. Can’t even own a horse of there own, and if they would purchase a horse an upper class individual can take it off him, the reason? He is now putting himself Above his Betters and could be put to death.!! The upper classes have a warrior status the higher up the greater warrior like attitude.!! The man looking after the ‘Sewer Works’ is the lowest of the ‘Caste System ‘.!!

    62
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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Apr 17th 2019, 1:57 PM

    @Gavin Murphy: Is passenger rudeness particular to just Indian men or is that a bit of casual racism I detect?

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    Mute Terry Cahill
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    Apr 17th 2019, 3:28 PM

    @FlopFlipU: Ah no.. they are in a league of their own.

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    Mute Terry Cahill
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    Apr 17th 2019, 3:32 PM

    @Dotty Dunleary: well if you did not say Indian people might not know who you are referring to. I watch the behavior of Indian men on holidays in Thailand, where I spend many months a year, and I am appalled at their rudeness and disrespect for women. Indian men, specifically.

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    Mute kehe
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    Apr 17th 2019, 6:57 AM

    It’s a commercial decision for an airline to make, not a government issue. With India’s Jet Airways near bankruptcy and Air India a zombie airline (dead but kept alive by the Indian government) I don’t see any airline getting interested any time soon.

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    Mute The Quare Fella
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    Apr 17th 2019, 12:21 PM

    @kehe:
    And for all those who say the Irish emigrated, there are not even thousands of Irish living in India. Not even close.

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    Mute DarraghLD
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    Apr 17th 2019, 7:39 AM

    Does the Dáil operate an airline now?

    246
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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Apr 17th 2019, 7:46 AM

    @DarraghLD: well on Saint patrick’s day they keep em busy anyway

    59
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    Mute Sean Buckley
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    Apr 17th 2019, 9:09 AM

    @DarraghLD: Yes its called Air Heads

    70
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    Mute ed w
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    Apr 17th 2019, 6:53 AM

    obviously the airlines don’t think it makes commercial sense

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    Mute David Linehan
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    Apr 17th 2019, 8:08 AM

    Ridiculous protest. Why outside government buildings? Not the sharpest tools these lads and no women present no? Shock horror.
    They made their own way here yet demand a direct route back, there are cities in Europe we could do with direct routes to and these lads want a country on the other side of the world ffs.

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    Mute The Quare Fella
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    Apr 17th 2019, 12:15 PM

    @David Linehan:
    Precisely. And you could stick a zero on the end of that 45,000 with direct flights in a few years or so. Reciprocal movement between Britain and Ireland would be handy too – and they know it.
    Guaranteed the reciprocal deal between the two countries will be in jeopardy in the coming years due to mass immigration.

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    Mute Paul Cunningham
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    Apr 17th 2019, 7:29 AM

    Dublin isn’t the centre of the universe, so why should an Indian airline fly there if it isn’t as commercially viable as say Heathrow? It’s up to the airlines after all.

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    Mute Nurse on call
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    Apr 17th 2019, 8:09 AM

    Protesting about a flight!!! Ffs sake!! Bigger problems that worrying about a direct flight.

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    Mute Freddie Rincon
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    Apr 17th 2019, 7:23 AM

    Plenty of easy connections in the middle east so passengers can then go directly to the region of India that works for them.

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    Mute Earth Traveller
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    Apr 17th 2019, 10:56 AM

    This article begs a number of observations:
    1. The Irish government does not own any airline but the Indian government does. Surely a protest outside the Indian embassy would be more appropriate.
    2. None of the protesters in the photograph appear to be female. Is it only Indian men who come to work in Ireland?
    3. Why do Irish politicians feel they have to comment on everything that comes their way? The FG senator thinks this is a “great cause”. No it is not. Uncovering the scandal of how Irish women and their babies were treated in so-called mother and baby homes – now that would be a great cause.

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    Mute Dan
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    Apr 17th 2019, 8:19 AM

    How about Dublin to Cork?

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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Apr 17th 2019, 7:34 AM

    “Please place your bags in the overhead luggage holders or poppadam on the ground under the seat in front of you”

    71
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    Mute Niall
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    Apr 17th 2019, 10:22 AM

    I’ve no direct flight to Las Vegas !!

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    Mute edelno5 .
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    Apr 17th 2019, 10:01 AM

    Why do they protest not having direct flight?
    This is ridiculous, this is a small country FFS.
    There wouldn’t be enough traffic between the two.
    Maybe they should either move to London Frankfurt or Paris, they are international flight hubs. What is wrong with people.

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    Mute JK
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    Apr 17th 2019, 9:54 AM

    This is a 100% commercial decision, made by airlines. It has nothing to do with government. I’m surprised at Neale Richmond.

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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Apr 17th 2019, 10:11 AM

    Here’s one for O’Leary to arrange, cheap flights to India. €29 one way! :-)

    47
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    Mute Thomas Sheridan
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    Apr 17th 2019, 10:40 AM

    Have our PC brigade vetted this proposal. We obviously don’t want anything to do with any country that doesn’t live up to our high values

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Apr 17th 2019, 9:14 AM

    Tata airlines ! no tata

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    Mute J
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    Apr 17th 2019, 9:30 AM

    @Gerard Heery: me nerves would be in tatas

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    Mute Padraic O Sullivan
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    Apr 17th 2019, 8:37 AM

    Tell John Delaney

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    Mute Paddy Power
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    Apr 17th 2019, 11:26 AM

    . If airlines finds its profitable they will do by themselves. They don’t need any opinions from public.

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    Mute Gerard
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    Apr 17th 2019, 12:03 PM

    @Paddy Power: Actually Aer Lingus almost never do outside of the US and Canada. Of the long haul routes from Dublin, I can’t think of a single one Aer Lingus operate which isn’t to one of these. If they weren’t profitable, NO ONE would operate them. Since others do, clearly they are profitable. Yet Aer Lingus never add any.

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    Mute Cian
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    Apr 17th 2019, 1:49 PM

    @Gerard: There’s a whole host of reasons why a route is worthwhile for one airline and not others.

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    Mute Jitendra Upadhyay
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    Apr 17th 2019, 3:03 PM

    Lot of negativity. Indian people who are here in Ireland, most of them are in working class, they are contributing here. So it benefits both countries. It would actually be beneficial if there is direct flight.
    PS, I love Ireland and people here.

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    Mute Natalie Defelice
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    Apr 17th 2019, 10:53 AM

    It would be a brilliant idea. I work for an airline that flies to Delhi everyday. approximately 70-100 passengers connect on to the US Everyday and with the pre-clearance available here it would make it very attractive financially. Perhaps because IAG now make all of the commercial decisions for Aer Lingus it’s not on their agenda. But I do agree what has it got to do with the government?? Silly protest!!!

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    Mute Gerard
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    Apr 17th 2019, 11:56 AM

    The protest is silly, since they should be lobbying airlines, not protesting at government buildings.

    But, people saying “oh an Indian airline should do it” have the same insular mentality as Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus are perfectly happy to operate long-haul routes… to North America and only North America. And even then, only English-speaking North America. It is not a question of a lack of demand: in the past two years, no less than three different routes to China were added from Dublin: Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Clearly there’s demand. But not one of these was added by Aer Lingus.

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    Mute Jim Dunne
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    Apr 17th 2019, 3:19 PM

    Oh god no!!!

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    Mute Thomas Martin
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    Apr 17th 2019, 9:32 PM

    Good idea. One way flights and send them all home

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    Mute M Stuart
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    Apr 17th 2019, 9:38 PM

    Wouldn’t the Taoiseach not think it was a good idea???????

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    Mute Conall Foynes
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    Apr 17th 2019, 3:41 PM

    The fact that Indian airline Jet Airways just went bust, that’s another carrier gone! Would have to be Air India as its only viable option!

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    Mute Sean Ryan
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    Apr 17th 2019, 9:47 AM

    Strange hill to die on

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    Mute moreshitetalk
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    Apr 17th 2019, 5:57 PM

    Sure we had no idea there were 9 of you. Of course we will lobby the airlines on your behalf

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